Just as in the auto industry, deluxe versions of many vehicles were loaded with chrome and trim between about '39 and the beginning of WWII. Look at a pic of a '41 Caddillac or Packard. They are loaded with Chrome and trim. H-D and Indian both were following that trend up to the war.
Th '38 H-Ds had Top of Fender strips as a deluxe item. In '39 the side trim was added so the deluxe had both top and side. In '40 the long top strips were replaced by the three short ones front and rear with a chevron on the front fender. In '41 the strips were replaced with the new streamlined flat emblem, sometimes these days referred to as the "squashed bird". In '42 the "squashed bird was joined by the eagle fender tips, part of the new Patriotic look along with the shields on the saddlebags. Then Pearl Harbor and no more trim for the duration!
Robbie


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